70 Chapter 70 - Rune Smithing

Author Note: Apologies on the delay, a close friend of mine had a situation that required needing to move ASAP. I got roped into assisting them move out of their apartment, and have been busy with that. As a side note, I won't be releasing chapters next week either. I will be out of state helping my Aunt move out of California.

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"You want to improve our weapons!!", Rei shouted with excitement as she tossed her spear away, "Like we won't have to wear the suits to help you? We can fight using just normal weapons and some light armor!?"

"Calm down Rei", I laughed, "I have to upgrade your fighting capabilities, there is no way around it anymore. Our ammo is limited, and we have a lot of ground to cover to reach Raccoon City. My Smithing Skills plus Rune Smithing will help increase your fighting capability. If it works like the books I read said, I should be able to increase your fighting strength far past what any human should be able too."

"Heck yes!!", Oriha said throwing punches into the air, "Now I too can rain down fire and brimstone on our enemies!! That said...I am keeping one of the suits because every woman needs a plasma cannon strapped to their arm!!"

"Oriha, I don't think Victor is going to give you one of those...", Shizuka remarked with a giggle, "Didn't he say you had to mature a little before he would?"

"I am plenty mature.", Oriha boasted, "I am trustworthy enough to be entrusted with such power!!"

"I wouldn't trust you with a water gun.", Sayo jabbed with a smile.

Snickering at that, several of the women said they agreed with that statement given her fixation with tinkering with things. Puffing her cheeks out in complaint, Oriha swore she'd show them...one day...in the future.

"We are getting off topic.", I chuckled patting her on the head, "I managed to come into some very high grade materials that I will use to make your equipment. Thanks to a powerful individual I have the supplies and materials I need to make each of you a weapon and custom armor."

"How high quality?", Saya inquired with a smile.

"Saya, you know what mythical metals are right? I received a large amount of the hardest, and strongest metals. We won't know if the myth surrounding them are true till I make the first items.", I told her and the others, "I will need to borrow Yuko, Yoko, Saeko, and Maya today as they will be the first to receive equipment."

Nodding their heads, they said they were excited to see what I would make them. I understood that they hadn't seen what I could really do as a Blacksmith, but I would demonstrate my skill to them. After having breakfast, I headed out into the mountain to gather materials necessary to construct the smithy. The building had to be durable and strong to handle the severe winter weather this region saw. Chiseling out some stone and chopping down some trees, I hauled the materials back down to camp to build the structure.

Meeting me at the construction site, the four women were ready to work. Compacting the soil on the plot I picked, I laid down the stone pieces and used some quick setting mortar to start building up the walls. Once the walls were built I used the lumber to make a roof, and barrier at the front to keep snow out. Helping me secure the timbers into place, I glanced over to the four of them. They looked genuinely happy to be working alongside me today. Giving them a kiss for their hard work, things almost escalated if not for the giant at the front of the building. After everything was secured we built the forge and started pulling tools and equipment out of my crate so no one would think anything was wrong. By the time we were done it was time for a quick lunch break.

Firing up the forge and getting the fire super hot, I began the process of making equipment for Yuko, Yoko, Saeko, and Maya. I knew the process of making a katana thanks to Saeko's father who had introduced me to a blacksmith that made made the Old Way. Having observed his technique and the process used to make one, I was confident I could make blades that exceeded the quality of the weapons forged by past great blacksmiths from Japan. Pulling some mythril I put several ingots into the forge, and stoked the fire to increase the heat in the forge. Fortunately thanks to previous smithing practice I knew my HUD would tell me when I had the temperature right, and how long it would take for the ingots to be malleable. While we were waiting on that, Souichiro and Takashi came over to see what we was doing.

"Do you even know how to smith?", Souichiro asked me, "It's not something you pick up from reading a book. I get your smart, but even this is pushing it."

"I know how to smith.", I replied, "I was trained on how to do this by several Blacksmiths."

"You are just trying to flex.", Takashi laughed, "I admit you have a lot of skills, but why would you know smithing? It's not like you'd have to forge new things when you were as well off as you were."

"You do know I had hobbies, right?", I remarked.

"You were busy with club activities, spending time with you girls, and doing a shit ton of homework. I wouldn't think you'd have spare time for that.", Takashi admitted.

"If Victor says he can smith, you should trust your leader.", Saeko said with a calm tone, "As for the flexing comment, the work he does to support us is more than you do. Your girlfriend is the one chopping wood and cooking, what do you do to help out? At least Nagi helps Aya with the cleaning, and maintenance."

Snickering at that Souichiro thought that jab was hilarious. He had been saving that jab in the event that Takashi gave him shit for helping Aya. In truth he had been helping her because he felt guilty all the shit he put her through when he was pursuing Maya. Of course, he wasn't going to openly admit that to anyone though.

"I didn't do Blacksmithing in Japan, the hoops I had to go through to get one installed at the Embassy was to much of a pain. It was something I did at the Boarding School as an elective. I got permission to take it after completing everything else.", I laughed, "I can somewhat understand your skepticism...if only vaguely."

"Sounds like you made the right decision in Boarding School. Being able to fix your own equipment and belongings is crucial in any survival situation.", Hoffman said walking over to see what was going on, "Based on what I have seen around your camp, you have a very deep understanding of what it takes to survive out here."

"Who are you?", Souichiro questioned having only seen him in passing the previous night, "You are with the new group that arrived yesterday, right?"

Introducing himself to the two of them, Howard explained his situation to them. Telling them about the trip across the US and Canada, he started asking about our trip. Getting along well enough with the two of them the three of them ended up walking away together. Having offered to show them how to clean the rifles and pistols, the two of them took him up on that offer. Leaving us in peace again, I glanced over to Saeko.

"I appreciate you stepping in like that, but you don't need to worry about it.", I chuckled, "There is always going to be a bit of a rough patch between us given my relationship to his mother."

"Be that as it may, you are treating her very well and it's her choice to make.", Saeko told me, "She is a fully grown woman, and can make her own decision. Instead of still being somewhat bitter about it, he could be happy for his mother. Everyone in camp has seen Kikyo, Saori, and Namiyo smile much more since pairing with you...all of us have really."

"I know, same here.", I remarked giving her a kiss.

Chatting with the four of them for the next thirty minutes, the HUD finally notified me that the ingots were ready. Pulling the first ingot out, I placed down on the anvil and pulled out a special magic hammer from my inventory. The technique I was going to use would imbue the power of the runes into the metal as I forged. This was achieved by drawing out the forging process to the number of runes I wanted to place. For example, if I wanted to add five runes on a blade I would need to put the first rune on, start working the metal, and then put it back in the furnace. Once the metal was back up to temperature I would pull it back out, and add the second one then continue repeating that process. This would still work for katana's, even though the metal would be continuously folded over and over.

Doing Rune Smithing this way made the enchantments stronger than usual and embedded them in the metal so they wouldn't wear down. This technique only applied only to furnaces that used magical energy to heat the blade, but injecting it with my own magic would achieve the effect as I had a large quantity of it. Adding the rune for sharpness onto the ingot, I started to form the sword with godly precision. Putting the folded ingot back into the furnace, I was about to pull out the next ingot when I got a notification from my system.

"<High Speed Magic Regeneration - Rank 1> <Magic Manipulation - Rank 1> <Magical Smithing - Rank 1> <Mythical Smithing - Rank 1>", the HUD read, "<Legendary Smith> title earned."

'Son of a bitch, all that from using a single Mythril Ingot...', I thought, 'I am going to max all of those perks!!'

Doing just that, I spent the afternoon hammering away in the smithy. Working alongside me to put their own touches on the blades, the women worked diligently to ensure everything was perfect. Adding all the runes into the katana's that I wanted, the final time the blades went on the anvil I stenciled ornate designs onto the blades to match each of the women's personalities. When we were finished, I looked the blades over with my HUD to see how good they were...and almost fainted from shock.

Divine Rending Blades:

The wielder of these blades shall find almost nothing in existence that can't be severed by them. Depending on the wielder's skill level, the user may be able to cut the Fabric of Reality at will. Only those that forged this blade may draw them from their scabbards. Those who dare anger the spirit of the blades may find their existence severed from reincarnation.

Attack increase + 5,000

Stamina increase + 2,000

Elemental Type <Locked>

Sword Spirit Summoning <Locked>

Condition for Use: Only Victor's lovers may use.

Creator: Victor

'Holy shit...', I thought looking over the blades, 'I...we may have really overdone it a bit. Seriously, if they master this they could easily kill a horde of ten thousand as easily as I do!!'

As I was about to make the scabbards, a voice popped into my head.

"Hey Victor, sorry to interrupt but I locked it down so only your family can use those weapons. You really overdid it, and I didn't want someone stealing it from you.", Clark told me telepathically, "If you make the items lower quality though for the community, that restriction doesn't apply."

"Shit, where the heck are you!?", I gasped looking around.

"Dude...I am God in Training, I can contact you whenever I need too.", he laughed.

"Oh gosh...you didn't happen to see last night, did you?", I questioned.

"I don't look in on those sort of things. Believe me, I don't want to see others getting it on...I don't have that kind of interest. The main thing I use it for is crime fighting, and saving worlds from collapsing.", he advised, "Anyways, moving forward all your creations will have that restriction for your safety."

"I appreciate it.", I thanked him.

Saying no more, he appeared to cut the connection. Letting out a sigh, I was relieved he didn't see what went on last night. Putting that to the side for now, I made suitable scabbards for the swords then decorated them similar to the blades themselves. Sheathing the weapons I turned to the women who were trying on the rings I made them.

Taking inspiration from the magic weapon Incursion, I made their armor out of dragon scales and mythril. To trigger the armor activation, they needed to only think about it and the armor would form around them. This process was what took the most time to complete as it wasn't something written in any of the books. The four of them rather enjoyed this flexibility as it gave them the ability to change in an instant.

"How does it feel? The enchantments should still work without the armor on, they just aren't as powerful.", I said.

"We can definitely feel the power these rings have.", Maya said bending a piece of steel like it was clay, "This is actually terrifying in a way. You are sure that someone can't steal them, and do what they want?"

"They are tied directly to your person, only you can call the armor out and use the enchantments.", I advised, "Now then, here are your blades we works so hard on."

"Thanks Victor, I am sure they will be-", Yoko started to say as she accepted the blade.

The moment their hands touched their respective blades, it was like lightning struck them. It was like something otherworldly had taken over them.

"What is this feeling?", Maya asked the others as her hands trembled holding her katana.

"I am not sure...I feel...different...", Yoko trembled as she drew hers out.

Pulling the sword without any sound, the four of them gasped. Staring at the ornate stenciling, the stencils glowed with a brilliant fiery red color. Drawing their blades out as well, the other stencils also did the same along with exuding a powerful aura. Checking their blades again with my HUD, I realized their Element Type had unlocked for them. Saeko had a Poison Element, Maya a Wind Element, Yuko a Light Element, and Yoko a Dark Element. Surprisingly all of them got an element that suited them very well. Judging by their reactions, they were extremely happy with the blades and how the katanas turned out.

"These blades...just how good at smithing and magic are you?", Yuko questioned, "I know you are brilliant, but to make blades like these...I...I can't believe you didn't have some prior knowledge."

"I am having trouble too...", Saeko admitted feeling how effortlessly her blade cut the air.

"That seriously hurts my pride!", I teased, "I worked incredibly hard alongside you today to make this equipment. You saw the degree of skill I used and everything I did."

"That is true, but it's still difficult to fathom even if we were here to witness it.", Yoko said, "Seriously though, I feel like I could fight a small army alone between the armor and katana."

"Agreed...", Maya remarked.

Giving them each a hug and kiss, I said that it must be our combined effort that did it. Deciding to just accept it, they gave me a big kiss back.

"Can we test them out?", Maya asked, "I am interested in seeing how powerful they are."

"Of course you can.", I told her, "I want to see the results of our day's work."

Setting up some stone targets next to the smithy, the women looked rather hesitant to swing at them. Having put an entire day into making the blades, they didn't really want to damage them. Telling them it would be fine, I had them swing at the targets as they faced the water. Not knowing how powerful of an attack would come from their swing, I didn't want the smithy to get damaged.

Lowering into a Quick Draw stance, the four of them equipped their armor and prepared to strike. A few moments before they attacked the ground beneath their feet cracked as they put everything they currently had into their attack. Erecting a barrier to protect the surrounding area, it completed just as the women drew. Feeling the pressure they exuded as the blades left their sheaths, everyone in the area around us almost shrieked in fear.

Cutting through the granite like it wasn't even there, the swords unleashed an overwhelming amount of magic. Launching an energy attack that corresponded to the elements the weapons had, everything in their path was completely destroyed. Rock, water, ice, and everything in front of them for several meters was cut to pieces. The back pressure caught the women completely off guard so they were launched backwards as a result. Catching them before they crashed into anything, the women looked at my in disbelief.

"What the hell was that!?", Oriha shouted running out of the house, "Where and how can I get one!!"

"Was that actual magic!?", Saya shouted, "You actually learned magic!!"

"Did you doubt me?", I teased.

"No...", Saya said, "Well maybe a little..."

The results from their attacks drew everyone in the settlement to see what happened. Seeing the devastation they wrought with just a swing of their blades, the four of them hugged me tightly thanking me repeatedly for giving them weapons that could help them stand by me in combat.

"So when do we get our weapons?", Renka asked me, "I am sure everyone wants something made by you now if we can all do that!"

"Well, it will take a week or so but I think I can get enough weapons made.", I chuckled.

With that, I became buried in requests for weapons from everyone for the next two weeks.